British and Irish Lions vs South Africa LIVE: First test result and reaction in Cape Town
The Lions overcame a 12-3 deficit against the Springboks with a strong second-half display
Dan Biggar’s boot proved the difference as the British & Irish Lions came from behind to beat South Africa 22-17 in an attritional first test in Cape Town on Saturday.
Biggar kicked four penalties and a conversion for a 14-point personal tally to take the Lions to victory after they were 12-3 down at halftime but came back strongly in the second half.
Luke Cowan-Dickie scored the Lions‘ only try with Owen Farrell adding a key late penalty while the Springboks’ points came from a Faf de Klerk try and four first-half penalties from Handre Pollard.
The two teams meet again next Saturday in the second test, also at the Cape Town Stadium.
Maro Itoje won the Player of the Match, telling Sky Sports: “These moments don’t come that often in your career. It’s a real privilege to where this jersey and to win as well is special.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We want to come out and do the business next week. We had to tidy up our discipline. We did in the second half and we had the mental fortitude to see it through.”
Lions vs South Africa result: Maro Itoje reacts
Maro Itoje is the Player of the Match, and has a chat with Sky Sports.
“These moments don’t come that often in your career. It’s a real privilege to where this jersey and to win as well is special.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We want to come out and do the business next week. We had to tidy up our discipline. We did in the second half and we had the mental fortitude to see it through.”
FT: South Africa 17-22 Lions
It’s rare a Test match goes exactly to script but that all felt rather foreseeable. The battle for the skies produced a number of defining moments - for a side normally reasonably secure under the high ball, South Africa were very, very loose in the backfield, with the Lions kicking and competing well. At the set piece, the impact of the Lions’ replacements proved key - South Africa perhaps went to their change front row too early, and a fresher Mako Vunipola and Ken Owens made a difference as the game wore on.
Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth had strong games for the hosts, and Kwagga Smith, too. Jacques Nienaber’s major concern will be discipline. His defensive structure can lend itself to penalties if the Springboks don’t quite get it right but South Africa never quite managed to get the game back under control after a succession of penalties were awarded against them by Nic Berry.
FT: South Africa 17-22 Lions
It’s a huge win for the Lions. Historically, it has been very tough to come from behind to win a series in South Africa, and after that first half it appeared that Warren Gatland’s side might be blown away as the Springboks started fast, but that second half was a real statement. The Lions were asked to prove they could match South Africa physically - and they emphatically answered it.
For what it is worth, I think Willie Le Roux’s try was a good’un, and Hamish Watson was extraordinarily fortunate to stay on the field after he drove Le Roux into the floor after tilting him beyond the horizontal.
FT: South Africa 17-22 Lions
That was intense. It was always going to be physical and the First Test lived up to the billing. South Africa were well on top at half-time but the Lions reasserted themselves after the interval, gaining greater physical parity and beginning to consistently win the battle in the air and at the set-piece. Maro Itoje had a magnificent game from minute one to minute 80, and Courtney Lawes had a decisive 20 minutes or so in the second half after a quiet first half. Mako Vunipola and Ken Owens were strong off the bench.
South Africa were very, very close, though, and will rue a couple of decisions that didn’t go their way. Expect plenty of chatter about the TMO later.
South Africa 17-22 Lions, 80 minutes
Brilliant defence from the Lions, pushing the South Africans back to the 10-metre. Has Tadhg Beirne nicked it? Not quite!
Onwards - a brilliant chop tackle from Kyle Sinckler. Maro Itoje’s stripped it in the tackle! That does it! Stuart Hogg thumps it into the empty seats and seals victory for the Lions!
South Africa 17-22 Lions, 79 minutes
A brilliant restart from South AFrica and they have it in the Lions 22!
On they will play, and Siya Kolisi nearly bursts through after a wobbly pass from Herschel Jantjies...
PENALTY! South Africa 17-22 LIONS (Owen Farrell penalty, 78 minutes)
It’s over! The lead is five and there are less than two minutes to run. A pressure kick for Farrell but he never looked like missing.
South Africa 17-19 Lions, 77 minutes
Penalty to the Lions! Their maul has dominated in the second half and they have little reason to go away from it now, Pieter-Steph du Toit forced to desperately stall it, but illegally!
Owen Farrell will take all of the 60 seconds he has to kick it at the uprights from on the 15-metre line. Right-hand side........
South Africa 17-19 Lions, 75 minutes
Another fumble from South Africa but they somehow cling on! Elton Jantjies nervously paces about beneath a meteor from Owen Farrell that crashes awkwardly to earth via his forearms, but Makazole Mapimpi just about gathers the replacement’s error. Stuart Hogg very nearly nipped in five metres from the South Africa line.
Herschel Jantjies is on for Faf de Klerk and clears brilliantly, but the Lions are still playing in the right areas.
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